RECENT SHIFT OF MANAGEMNT POLICIES OF THE SETO INLAND SEA, JAPAN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PROMOTION OF SATOUMI ACTIVITIES

“The special law” on the environmental conservation of the Seto Inland Sea, Japan and governmental basic plan for the environmental conservation of the sea based on the law were both revised recently in 2015. Two major aims of the previous basic plan (1. conservation of water quality, 2. conservation of natural landscape) were reformed to broaden four new major aims (1. conservation and restoration of coastal environment, 2. conservation and appropriate management of water quality, 3. conservation of natural and cultural landscapes, 4. sustainable utilization of fish resources) in the revised basic plan. Historically, environmental management policy of the Seto Inland Sea had firstly made emphasis on water pollution control such as total pollution load control (TPLC). However, this kind of passive conservation policy is gradually being sifted recently to active conservation such as Satoumi which includes restoration of biodiversity, biological productivity, habitat and well balanced nutrient cycle between land and sea. Holistic approaches such as integrated coastal management (ICM), ecosystem-based management (EBM) and adaptive management were incorporated into new policy in Japan. These clear changes of management policies of the Seto Inland Sea will make change more detailed policy of every related prefecture and hence will promote Satoumi activities in near future.